The Clinical Audit Cycle Patient Information If you require any further information please contact Patient Advocacy Service 01 414 4709 or alternatively contact Clinical Audit Department 01 414 2855 References HIQP Healthcare quality improvement partnership. Guide for patients in understanding clinical audit reports “I was asked to take part in a clinical audit. I was pleased to answer questions because it was good to know that my experience might help to improve the service & it is reassuring that they are looking at the care that they give” Patient Clinical Audit Cycle The Clinical Audit Cycle Clinical Audit Checking you receive safe high quality care Tallaght Hospital

What is Clinical Audit? Confidentiality & Data Protection Types of Nurses, Doctors, Students and other staff who care for you want to ensure that you receive the best care possible. One of the ways we can check this is to conduct clinical audits. A clinical audit involves checking that the care provided is of the highest quality and follows evidence-based practice. If the audit shows areas that could be improved, then changes are made and the audit is repeated to monitor progress. This is called the clinical audit cycle. “Clinical audits give me a way to check that the care I am providing is of a high standard. It helps with my education and training and keeps me up to date with best practice” Clinician Confidentiality & Data Protection We may use information contained in your healthcare records in order to carry out clinical audits. You will not be contacted directly if we use your healthcare records for a clinical audit project. This is because your name and personal details are kept confidential and are not included in the audit findings and report. Types of Clinical Audit There are different types of clinical audits. Typically they involve a review of healthcare records but some audits involve patients taking an active part in the audit process. Below are some examples of clinical audits Hand hygiene audit Documentation Patient observations Medication safety “Clinical audits give me a way to demonstrate that my service is meeting quality targets. Its part of a culture that puts quality firmly on the agenda” Manager